Your Heavenly Body

'...How are the dead raised? With what kind of body...?' 1 Corinthians 15:35 NIV

Ever wonder what your heavenly body will be like? The Bible gives us three answers to the questions, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?' First, it speaks of anatomy: '...Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.' (1 Corinthians 15:39 NIV) Just as fish are designed to handle the pressures of the ocean and birds are designed to fly, your heavenly body will be custom-made for eternity. (Imagine travelling not merely at the speed of light, but the speed of thought!) Next, it speaks of astronomy: 'The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead...' (1 Corinthians 15:41-42 NIV) There will be degrees of honor and differences of reward when we get to Heaven. Your service now is what determines your status then 'God "will give to each person according to what he has done."' (Romans 2:6 NIV) Finally, it speaks of agriculture: '...it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.' (1 Corinthians 15:43 NIV) It's said the old Saxon word for cemetery means 'God's acre.' How wonderful; Christians don't get buried, they get planted!

There's a bulletin board in the Mayo Clinic which reads: 'Cancer is limited: it cannot cripple love, it cannot shatter hope, it cannot erode faith, it cannot eat away peace, it cannot destroy confidence, it cannot kill friendship, it cannot shut out memories, it cannot silence courage, it cannot invade the soul, it cannot reduce eternal life, it cannot quench the spirit, and it cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.'